Building construction



Oct 21, 1941. w. H. VENZIE 2,259,594

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 2, 1938 INVENTOR Wm: TEA; H. l z/vz/e.

ATTORNEY Patenied Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,259,59r- -i BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Walter H. Venzie, Philadelphia, Pa. Application March 2, 1938-, Serial No. 193,549 r 7 Claims. (01 72 -118) The invention relates to building construction,

and, more particularly, to the interior'walls and ceiling in which plaster board or similar panels are used.

Common defects, either alone or concurrently,

of prior wall and ceiling construction includeaj failure to rigidly space the plaster boards away from the furring so as to reduce the transmission of sound through the walls, a failure to support the faces of the boards so that they will not sag away from their supports whena coat of :wet plaster is applied and a failure to provide clips for supporting plaster boards that will both properly position them and provide means for con-' necting a face supporting means to the furring.

The present invention is applicable to a wall or ceiling construction and comprises conventional furring on which suitable panels such as plaster board may be supported. The panels preferably may be connected to the furring strips by novel clips which not only space the boards from'the furring strips but also provide means for engaging tie wires passing from clip to clip across the faces of the boards to support the faces. Thus the clips also serve as means for connecting the tie wires to the furring strips. r

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel wall and ceiling structure in which the surfacing units are spaced rigidly a fixed distance from their supporting furring strips.

Another primary object of the invention is to provide a novel wall and ceiling structure in which the faces of surfacing units are supported by wires which extend across their faces solely but which are connected to furring strips by clips which also support the panels. 1 a

A further object of the invention is-to provide,- in a wall structure using panels as the base to which a coat, or coats, of plaster is applied, clips serving as means not only for connecting panels to furring strips but also for spacing them a predetermined distance away from the stripsand additionally for connecting wire passing across the faces of the boards to the furring strips. 45

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel clip including means for support'- ing plaster boards, means for spacing the boards from the support for the clip, means for preventing rotative movement of the clip and means pro viding a seat forwires.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification, claims and from the drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of a wall embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the wall shown in Fig. 1; I

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, front and rear elevationsand plan view of the clip embodied in the invention; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the clip positioned as inFig. 2.

, wall embodying my invention may comprise connected by clips I 2.

, The clips I2 preferably are stamped from a single metal blank, each having a plate I3 one face of which rests upon the upper edge of a plaster board and the other face of which supports the loweredgeof another plaster board. From opposite sides adjacent one end of the plate I3 extend upwardly. a pair of opposed fingers I4 and I5, the fingers lying in parallel planes normal to the plane of the plate. Similar fingers I6 and I! extend from opposite sides adjacent the opposite end of the plate, the finger I6 lying in the plane of the finger I4 and the finger I1 lying in the plane of the finger l5. The four fingers I4, I5, I 6 and I! provide means for positioning panel II fixedlywith respect to the upper face of the plate I3. Intermediate the fingers I4 and I6 and in-the sameplane therewith but extending in an opposite direction from the plane I3 is a finger I8, facing which is a finger I9 lying in the same plane as the fingers I5 and II, the two providing means for engaging the upper edge of another paneland positioning it with respect to'the lower face of the plate I3. The end of each of the fingers I4 to I9, inclusive, preferably is turned outwardly with respect to the plate I3 as at 20 so that panel may be readily slipped between the fingers without tearing the usual paper covering thereon.

A leg-2| extends from the plate I3 in the same plane therewith inwardly (with respect to the wall) and may have a ridgeembossed thereon as at 22' to increase its rigidity. Preferably the end of the leg ZI is turned downwardly and carries a finger 23, the bent down end and thefinger 23 lying in a plane normal to the plane of the platel3."

A shortleg 24 extends from the plate I 3 adjacent the leg 2| and carries at its end a downwardly extending finger 25 also lying in a plane normal to the plane of the plate I3 and facing the finger 23. In actual building practice the plasterers channels are of a uniform size and the clip, in manufacture, is so sized that the conventionalchannel ;will fi t snugly between the fingers Z3andl25asshown in Figs. 2 and 5. After ation of Figs. 2 and 5 that the relative positions of the fingers 23 and 25 precludes rotary movement of the clip in a vertical plane about the channel and such movement is the one that would otherwise be imparted to it when,t he plaster boardsare positioned in a wall. It is further: to be noted that the finger 25 and the short leg 24 space the plate l3, the panel positioning gers l4 and I6 and hence the panels ll away from the channel ID so that sound waves im pinging against the panels are not conductedainto or through the wall. This is accomplished without any loss in rigidity of the-structuresotliat sound transmission is minimized without causing a resiliency in the wall that previously sometimes .resulted, in the formationof cracks-in-the: plaster.

Frequently in the past, where the admittedly most rapid way of erecting a wall using clipseand plaster-boards was followed, the application-of= a coat; of: plaster tothe plasterboard; caused the boardsit'o war-p orsag thus destroying at a num her of points-the b'ond between the boards-and the coat of plaster. To overcomethis; bad resuit the additional cost of temporarily-support ing; the rough coat: of plaster was "necessitated. The present invention overcomes. this: difficulty by.=the provision; of: tie wires extending across thelface oi the board: The. WiresJSmareheld -by/ oppositely facing; hooks 31 and: 32/ stamped inithe finger- I9. .ofieachoi ithe clips [2. As illustrated; itfis preferred that. the wire a extend/ aroundithes lowert hookl, 32;:ofz-one clip. and the upper; hook; 312 ofgra lower; clip with, the'ends of: the wire; twistedtogetherr into; a. knot to. form; a; closed: bightqextendingg.across; the; face andi one edgemf: inboard between twozspaced clips.

In, erecting. the; above describedzwallitiwillzbe? ohvious; that; tllfi'JHOSiliiOIl-illg; of thetfurring; strips: ii-11.:necessarily-alignthaclipsand also thezwirea hat. h zclipsiwillhetie getherrverticallys that; the wiresswill be tied together: verticalln ndlthat: the: wires ;Wil 1*;be; tied Joy the, clips: t atlie .furrinsc trips A v o s odificati n which: su ests; itself is -illustrated in; Fig; 3:where.is;shown;op ppsitelwextending hooks; 36 and; 3.1: on; each". of: he. outer: p ar ly extendi ngers; I 5 am l Thus-;the;wires;;may; be connected; in zDY'Qf the;- wa sndic ted; h ht i r i na Various; modifications; may; be; made in; the; above; described embodiment; of, my; invention; without departing; from: the; spirit. and scope-,- thereof as defined in the following claims;,i t=be-;.' ing; understood that-the words jwall and-;ceiling whereverused: are interchangeable and that. the use of one or the other in the. claims; is noto to be construed: asna limitationto the use, of ::the; invention in a particular plane.

. I clain-i asmyflnventionr, 7

11 111 interior: wallconstructionthe combinaa tion with a support and a multiplicity of panels,

7 rmea-ns for; connecting said: panelsnto said: support pand supporting their faces, comprisingclipsp connected to said suppo-rt,.,mea-ns cforming apart;

oifs'aid clips for, engaging saidpanels and; Wires,

engaging'j only .said clips, said wires rlyingrwholl'y, o'n' the, room side of said, panels,o extending over at least llone edge: of said panels; and each" form'-. Y inga closed bightponnecting, two of said clips;

' 2:; In interior -wa-ll construction the comb'ina tion with' a supportfa-nda: multipl-icitwof panels 'ofmeans for connecting said panels to said supp ortiand supporting their faces, comprising clips connected to said support, means forming a part of said-clips-for engaging said panels, and wires connecting adjacent clips one to the other, said Sill wires lying wholly on the room side of said panels and; extending over -at= least one edge of a panel.

42 B interior wall construction the combine tion with a-support an a multiplicity of panels, of means for connecting said panels to said sup-- port-and: supportingtheir faces; comprising clips connected to said supportgmeans forming apart of said clips fon engaging saidpanels; means-extending from said clip for rigidly spacing said-- panele-from said support; and a wiieeng-aging only said clips; said wireseacliforming a-closed bi'ght therface of apanel' connecting two ofisaidiclipsa 5T,- A rclipicompr-isingcaplatehaving faces-form ingzbearingisurfacestfonthe edgesof plasterboard panels;v two DaiISLOfI parallel fingers having op posed? fiat surfaces 1 extending: from: the sides of said: plate 1 adj acen-ti; its' :endszin planes normal to: therplane saidi plate; another pair of fingersa extendingqfromssaidiplate-ina the; same planes as thew. first: mentioned: fingers :liut ;in; an: opposite: direction; intermediate; said-3 first two. pairs;. aihofz said'ifingerslpreviding means. fonpositiom ing; saidipanelsawith resnectitoisaid; plate; a .sine glei finger; extendingifronn said; plate. in: a: plane:-

4m parallel? to.- the; plane of thee other fingers"; but:

spaced therefrom, an arm on saidplatepositionedi adjacenteaid lastrnamedzfingerrlying in the-plane oizjsaidiplateg aafingerrextending from said arm in: a plane parallelito;the planesof: the other fingers and: wireengagingimeansz on at least: one: fisaidfineers o 6. 1 Aeclipmomprising aplate-rhaving; faces f0rm-- m bearing; surfaces; fort the edges of plaster beard; panels, two; pairs of" fingers providing; meansyforrp,ositioninggsaid panels with respectto said faces, a single-fingen-extending fromrsaid plate ;in-.a.-planeparallel to:the planerof-othe other fingers butcspacedztherefrom; means.- for connectinggsaidgp later to, as support; and: wire engaging;

a: means-mn ratsleasta one of I said. fingers.

'7, A, clipzcomprisi-nga? plate forming. a bearing s'urface for-ztheredgessof. plasterxboardpanels; two :pairssoi, parallel fingersahaving'. opposed :fiat-A surfaces. extending from -.thesides of said plate adj acentcitsfl ends in planeszrnormalto the. plane on said plate, another pain of, fingers extending. fro1n{s'aid; plate in, the same. planes Y as the first; mentioned fingers but in anropposite. direction and, intermediate, said: first two, pairs, a single. finger extending from said platein alplaneparallel.to the,p,lane of the other fingers .lout spaced therefrom, meansifor connecting saichplate tola supportg and' hooks: comprising wire engaging meansprr at least oneiof said" fingers: 

